For those that don’t really follow the news or understand the dynamics on the ground in Iraq but rather rely on bumper stickers to get their news a couple of quick points in regards to Sadr and the Mahdi Militia. The Mahdi Militia is best compared to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. They claim to be political parties but engage in campaigns of fear, intimidation and murder. Sadr is a coward who holds up the Koran as a shield, not as a religious text but rather a call to arms.
This offensive against the Mahdi Militia is being lead and conducted by the Iraqi Army with support from the Americans. Got that. The Iraqis are taking the lead on this. They are sick and tired of all of the violence. Now that the foreign fighters have been driven out they are turning on their domestic enemies. I have no doubt they will prevail in this fight and we need to let the Iraqis take the lead in this fight. Who better to understand the enemy?
While we sit back and watch the maneuvers both politically and militarily by the Maliki government and attempt to arm chair quarterback his moves, we can only hope he doesn’t read American newspapers.
I wish the government well and if they can’t get Sadr I hope that they can at least keep him out of the country now that he has shown he is unwilling to suffer the hardships and burdens of the very people he is asking to fight for him and for whom he professes to speak for.
